Horse show brings life to Shelbyville

Sunday, August 28, 2011Sadie Fowler

What a great time of year it is for Shelbyville and Bedford County!

With horse show fans filling up our town and school in session, August is always undoubtedly a busy time of year for us at the paper. For me, this August has been particularly busy, yet fun and rewarding too.

Having grown up with horses myself, I have a special appreciation for the horse industry and what it brings to our community, and I truly enjoyed getting to know those who were featured in our special Celebration souvenir edition this year.

The section was published Friday, and if you haven't seen one yet, be sure to check out it out. It's chock full of informational stories that will be handy to anyone visiting Shelbyville for the show, entertaining feature stories and fun photos that cover at least five decades. There's something for everyone in this wonderful section, and we hope you enjoy it.

I love the horses and watching the show, but even more so, I love the life the horse show and horse show fans bring to Shelbyville. From billboards and barbecue pits to vendors and lap dogs, our little town has once again been transformed into a pretty happening little big town.

Today, the Celebration barn decorating contest takes place. I'm looking forward to grabbing an Optimist doughnut (5,000 dozen are served each year), taking the family to the dog show at 12:30 and then walking around the barns to view the pretty displays that represent the various barns competing at the show. The barn decorating contest takes place from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

I'm also really excited to walk around the Trade Fair this week. I usually take an hour or so during lunch one or two days, and enjoy some of the sample dips, soups and salsa while doing a little shopping.

By Saturday, I'll be ready for the final night of classes. I must say, it's been a few years since I've really been this excited about the show and especially the stake class. I'm not sure if it's because I got to know some new horse folks this year while working on our special section or because I know how much our community needs a strong horse show this year, but the connection is there, and I'm excited to watch the show this year and see a new World Grand Champion crowned.

Enjoy the show!

-- Sadie Fowler is the lifestyles editor of the Times-Gazette. Send your story ideas, recipes and comments to Sadie at sfowler@t-g.com.